Special bus services announced for Ganesh festival - The HinduUpdated - September 12, 2026 08:43 pm IST - HYDERABADWith the fervour and devotion connected to the Ganesh festival already palpable, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) on Saturday announced that they will operate special bus services for devotees visiting the idols in Khairatabad and Balapur pandals during the Vinayaka Chavithi festivities.The special services will begin from September 14 to 24, according to TGSRTC Vice Chairman and Managing Director Y. Nagireddy.The buses will operate via the city’s major bus stations, including Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS). Bus services from JBS will pass through Patny, Bata, Boat Club, Tank Bund, IMAX, Khairatabad, Lakdikapul, Gandhi Bhavan, Afzalgunj, CBS, Women’s College, Government Press, IS Sadan, Phisalbanda, Balapur Cross Roads before reaching the Balapur Ganesh pandal.The first special bus from JBS will leave at 6 in the morning with services running at intervals of 40 to 50 minutes until 9.55 at night. The return services from Balapur will begin at 7.55 in the morning and continue until 11.50 at night.The VC MD said the corporation had completed arrangements well in advance to ensure that devotees could travel without inconvenience during the city’s Ganesh celebrations.The special services are aimed at meeting the anticipated increase in passenger demand during the festival and facilitating access to the two major Ganesh pandals.Additional chargeIn a separate development, the State road transport undertaking clarified that during the festive season, buses while taking passengers to their destination often return largely empty. Given this factor, GO MS No 16 of 2003 permits the transport corporations to apply an additional charge of up to 50% on the regular fare to foot the minimum additional expenditure incurred on diesel and maintenance during such operations.Published - September 12, 2026 08:42 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }